


I (We) Will Never Forget

by Beccaman



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 22:58:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5433998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beccaman/pseuds/Beccaman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her village needs her, but she needs Neji.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I (We) Will Never Forget

Tenten stands in front of the window, trying to find reason to go out today. It’s only been a week. A week since the war ended. A week since everything fell apart for Tenten. A week since Neji died.

Her village needs her, but she needs Neji.

****

Five years later, Tenten stands in front of the window in her apartment she shares with Lee. The village is rebuilt, she’s no longer eighteen, and the smell and feeling of war have vanished from her life. She still feels Neji’s presence, still smells his scent, still remembers the love in his eyes. She remembers these things on bad days, and today is apparently one of those days.

As she stands, watching the sun rise over the Hokage mountain, she hears Lee walking around, making breakfast probably. A second later, she’s proved right when she hears Lee’s voice calling her.

“Tenten! Breakfast is ready!”

She sighs. Lee knows better than to get an answer from her, and she hears him sit down and begin to eat as she stays still. She didn’t really want to eat today. A few seconds later, she feels his presence again, feels his hands on her shoulders, feels him push her towards the door, and she stumbles towards the kitchen.

Neji was always looking out for her.

*****

A couple of hours later, she stands in front of the mirror, Lee long gone after trying to convince her to go out, and Tenten is trying to find courage to go out today, to see her teammate or Hinata or maybe both.

She picks up a strand of her hair, washed and untied, and picks up and elastic with the other hand. Tying her hair, just in a ponytail, she throws on a hoodie and jeans and grabs her keys. She stands in front of the door for a moment, wondering if she really should go out.

She feels Neji’s hands on her shoulders again, and he pushes her forwards, and she mumbles to herself.

“Even when you’re dead..”

She locks the door, and heads downstairs.

******

A couple of minutes later, she’s at the Uzumaki’s, and she knocks on the door. Hinata answers a minute later, her pale white eyes widening a little.

“Tenten! I-I didn’t know we’d be seeing you today.” Hinata stutters only once during that sentence, and Tenten feels brief pride for her younger friend. She’s come a long way.

“Hello, Hinata. Do you mind if I come in?”

Hinata nods, opening the door to let Tenten in. Tenten walks in the hallway, taking off her sandals.

“Not a good day today, Tenten?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Hinata looks at her expectantly. “Nightmares last night, memories today. The usual.” Tenten shrugs.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I could do?”

Tenten thought. Was there something Hinata could do? No. But she also could in a way.

“Hinata, call Ino. We’re going to do something to make me feel better.”

*****

An hour later, Ino knocked on the Uzumaki’s door, and Tenten ran to answer it well Hinata was checking on Himawari, and Boruto was at the office with his dad on take your kid to the office day.

“I hope you don’t mind, I brought Sakura with me!” Ino exclaimed, shrugging off her sandals, and carrying a huge machine with Sakura’s help.

“She couldn’t carry it.” Sakura whispered at Hinata and Tenten, which both of them giggled at when Ino threw Sakura a look.

“Billboard brow, you are so going to get it.”

Sakura shrugged, and she picked up the machine herself and brought it in the living room. The four were soon in the living room, chatting and laughing like old times, and it was a lot of fun. Soon though, Tenten wanted to get down to business.

“Okay, so here’s what I want.”

*****

A little while later, Tenten was on her back, her shirt hoodie off, her hair braided in two braids and pushed off her back, and a needle that Ino was holding tracing in her skin.

“Does it hurt?” Ino asked.

“No. I may not do as much missions anymore, but I’m still a ninja. I can deal with pain.” Tenten said.

Sakura and Hinata were on the floor next to Tenten, as Ino straddled Tenten’s legs, leaning over her. 

“You think Temari is busy?” Sakura asked.

“I haven’t heard from her recently.” Ino said, one of the closest to Temari because of Shikamaru.

“Neither have I.” Tenten said, one of the others.

At that moment, the door knocked, and Hinata got up and went to answer. Seconds later, they heard Temari’s annoyed voice complaining about how Shikamaru and Shikadai had left her.

“Take your kid to the office day. Hah! More like ‘leave your wife to do chores at home alone all day’!”

Ino, Sakura and Tenten laughed, well Hinata smiled and said she was going to check on Himawari.

Temari walked in the living room. “Woah, what’s this? Tenten’s getting-”

“Yup.” Tenten interrupted, smiling at Temari from the floor.

“In memory of him, hm?”

“Yup.”

******

A couple of hours later, Tenten stood in front of her fallen teammates grave, Hinata with Himawari beside her, Ino at her father's grave, having just visited Asuma’s, and Sakura standing with her. Temari stood behind the two in front grieving Neji, she had not known anybody here except Neji, really.

It had been awhile since Tenten had visited Neji’s grave. It was silent, all five girls lost in their own thoughts. Tenten held her hands out to Hinata, as she was starting to feel slightly unsafe. Hinata must of realized, as she handed Tenten Himawari, and Tenten stood, holding her niece, her sister-in-law standing beside her, and in her own mind, she whispered.

“Neji. I hope you are proud. I hope you are happy. Your family stands in front of you now, wishing you were here with us now. Your cousin, your niece, and your lover. We are so proud of you. You know I’m not one for sappy things, but I should let you know, I got a tattoo today, with the marking of your grave on it. I wanted to remember you, always.

I wish you would’ve been able to turn eighteen, Neji. A shinobi shouldn’t die before they are an adult. You may have been an adult to everyone else, but to me, you were still the boy I went to the academy with. The boy who went to great lengths to protect me. The boy who tried to seem cool and annoyed all the time. I knew better. But you are still that boy too me. I miss you so much.

I love you so much.

Suddenly, Tenten gasped. She felt Neji’s hand on her left shoulder, and she looked, and Hinata’s eyes were wide too. His hand was on her right shoulder.

“I know you two miss me. I miss my cousin. I miss my girlfriend. I miss my uncle, my job, my friends.I miss Lee. I miss you all. My one regret, is not being able to stay. Not being able to meet my nephew and niece.” He smiled, looking over Tenten’s shoulder at the little bundle of Himawari in her arms.

“Not being able to stay and protect my comrades.”

“Also, tell that idiot Naruto I’m proud of him.”

“I love you both.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this is not my first fanfic, but it is my first one posted anywhere, so uh, suggestions would be nice, comments, ideas, anything really.
> 
> Thank you!


End file.
